Apparatus for making bodies in the form of shells from plastic chocolate or the like



May 6 1924.

A. MULLER APPARATUS FOR MAKING BODIES IN THE FORM OF SHELLS FROM PLASTICCHOCOLATE OR THE LIKE Filed March 17 r m m J Patented l t lay 6, 1924.

ALFRED MULLER, OF SUDENDE, BERLIN, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING BODIES IN THE FORM OF SHELLS FROM PLASTIC CHOCOLATEOR THE LIKE.

Application filed March 17, 1921. Serial No. 453,145.

(GRANTED UNDER THEPROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L.,1313.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED MiiLLnR. engineer, a citizen of the GermanRepublic, residing at Sudende b/Berlin in Preussen, Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for MakingBodies in the Form of Shells from Plastic Chocolate or the like (forwhich I have filed application in Germany March 11. 1920, allowedFebruary 17, 1922 under Patent No. 351,986, printed April 20, 1922), ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for making bodies inthe form of shells from plastic chocolate and the like. As is known tothose skilled in the art such articles are ordinarily made by hand bysubjecting the moulds to centrifugal action and from time to timebeating the same on a solid foundation. This operation is objectionablebecause it requires much strength while the production is comparativelysmall. In addition it is not sufliciently uniform in order to result inregular products. The object of the improvements is to provide anapparatus for mechanically operating the moulds in the manner heretoforeused in the operation by hand. With this object in view my inventionconsists in providing mechanically operated means for subjecting themoulds to centrifugal action around a vertical axis and simultaneouslyto reciprocating vertical movement.

In the drawing annexed:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical sectionshowing a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical transverse sectional view taken through themold and mold-support Fig. 3 is a detail vertical. transverse sectionalview taken through the belt-pulley for imparting to the mold a.horizontal body revolution.

As shown the machine comprises a frame 41. having a platform 0 and asupporting member in the form of a beating plate a movable relatively tothe platform 0 in vertical direction and caught thereon by means of pins79 held in suitable holes of the platform. The plate a is adapted to bereciprocated by a rotary shaft Z) and through the intermediary of a cam0 and rods d. On uprights q rising from the plate a, ring it is mountedwhich provides a support for a slidable disk 9 having at its center adownwardly projecting trunnion Z1. On the disk 9 a mould support orframe 7 is fastened which is adapted to receive a mould box or block122., and which is yieldingly connected by springs c' with the plate 64.Below the disk 9, supported in plate a there is a belt pulley Z adaptedto be rotated in any preferred way for example from the shaft 6, and thesaid pulley is provided with an eccentrical and radially adjustablebearing block 1' engaged by the trunnion 7c.

By means of the rotary shaft Z) and the cam a the plate a and all theparts carried thereby are reciprocated in vertical direction. Inaddition the mould block on and its sup ports 7 as well as disk 9 aresubjected to centrifugal action within a horizontal plane by means ofthe eccentric bearing block r en gaging the trunnion 70. Each part ofthe mould block describes a circular path around a vertical axis, and asin such movement it is not axially rotated the centrifugal forcesuccessively acts in all directions relatively to the mould so as tothrow the plastic chocolate against the walls of the moulds over thewhole circumferences thereof. The plastic matter which is thrown fromthe moulds is gathered upon the upper face of the disk 9 or within asuitable container (not shown).

As the force throwing the chocolate against the side walls of the mouldsis comparatively high, I am enabled to work plastic matter which iscomparatively consistent.

It will be observed that the mold cavities in the block 710 areapproxin'iately hemi. spherical in shape and are formed in the undersideof the block soas to face toward the disk 9, and further that this moldblock is supported (by the grooved bars f) at a distance from the upperface of said disk g, whereby during the action of the machine theplastic substance will be evenly spread upon the curved walls of thecavities and the surplus material will be deposited upon the upper faceof the disk g.

It will be understood that in order to load the mold, the block m istaken out of the machine and turned upside down to bring the cavities onthe upper face of the block, and that after having loaded the molds withchocolate or the like the block is turned down again and replaced in themachine in the position shown. By the operation of the machine, only thelittle quantity of chocolate necessary for forming the shells remains inthe molds while the superfluous chocolate falls or is thrown down on thetable disk g. I

By adhesion, the chocolate sticks to the mold wall even when the mold isturned upside down. The chocolate would freely drop out in case the moldwould be only beaten, i. e., vertically reciprocated. but, as the moldis not only beaten but also subjected to centrifugal action, thechocolate is thrown by centrifugal force against the mold wall andsticks thereto, so that only the superfluous chocolate drops from theedges of the moldcavities. It is possible to regulate the thickness ofthe bodies to be made in the form of shells by beating more or lessheavily; for instance, to get thin shells it is necessary to beat morestrongly.

F or convenience in oiling the bearing of wrist-pin A1, I have providedan oil-supply pipe is; this pipe will of course rotate as well asreciprocate with the mold and the drivingwheel m.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for making shell shaped bodies from plastic matter,the combination, with a support for the moulds, of mechanical means tosubject the support to centrifugal action by body revolution of thesupport, and mechanical means to impar sharply reciprocating movement tothe support transversely of the centrifugal action to impart to thesupport a rapid beating actlon.

2. In an apparatus for making shell shaped bodies from plastic matter,the combination, with a support for the moulds mechanical means tosubject the support to centrifugal action by body revolution about avertical axis, and mechanical means to sharply reciprocate the supportin vertical direction to impart a beating action to the support.

3. In an apparatus for making shell shaped bodies from plastic matter,the com.- bination, With a supporting member, and means to impartreciprocating movement thereto, of a mould support slidable on saidsupporting member and yieldingly connected therewith, and means tobodily revolve said mould support about an axis disposed in thedirection of the reciprocating movement of the supporting member.

4. In an apparatus for making shell shaped bodies from plastic matter,the combination, with a supporting member, and means to impart verticalreciprocating movement thereto, of a mould support slidable on saidsupporting member and yieldingly connected therewith, and means tobodily revolve said mould support about a vertical axis.

5. In an apparatus for making shellshaped bodies from plastic material,the combination of a mold and mold-support, and power mechanism forbodily revolving said support and simultaneously bodily reciprocating itup and down so that it will give the mold a beating movement.

6. In an apparatus for making shell shaped bodies from plastic matter,the combination, with a mould support, of a rotary member connected withthe mould support at a. part eccentric of the axis of rotation of therotary member, and means to prevent axial rotation of the mould supportwhile being bodily revolved by said rotary member.

7. In an apparatus for making shellshaped bodies from plastic material,the combination of a support member, a plate supported thereon. meansfor imparting a body rotation to said plate while resting on saidsupport, means for 'ertically reciprocating the support and the plateduring the rotation of the latter, a mold-support upon the top face ofthe plate, and a mold-block supported in said support and having openmoldcavities in its under side facing said plate, said mold-block beingsupported at a distance above the upper face of said plate.

8. In an apparatus for making shellshaped bodies from plastic materialthe combination of a mold base, a reciprocable frame mounted thereon, apower means also mounted thereon for vertically reciprocating saidframe, a mold table slidingly supported on said frame, powerdriven meansembodying a vertical shaft on said frame for imparting to saidmold-table a body revolution in a horizontal. plane, and means on saidmold-table for supporting a plurality of mold cavities, whereby saidmold cavities shall describe circles eccentric to the axis of saidshaft.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my signature.

ALFRED MULLER.

